Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: The Lies Between Us by M. N. Forgy – The Devil’s Dust MC Series – Book 4

Posted on 09/22/2015 by shellbellereads

The Lies Between Us

Devil’s Dust MC Series- Book 4

By M. N. Forgy

Release Date: September 22, 2015

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes

Synopsis:

Cherry’s life growing up was nothing short of a nightmare. Having an abusive father forced her to fend for herself from an early age. Bruised and emotionally broken, she finally escaped, running straight into the comfort that Lip’s arms brought. In the beginning, everything seemed to fall into place perfectly. He made her forget the messed-up ways of her life. But secrets can’t stay neglected. They have a habit of revealing themselves regardless of the consequences. Terrified, Cherry can’t speak a word or she’ll lose it all.

Lip is no stranger to the criminal life. Growing up among convicts, he wanted nothing more than to show his worth. He’ll do anything for the club without question, including serving six years in prison. But nobody could have predicted life’s plan. Rugged, tattooed, and wanting nothing more than to have Cherry, Lip is no longer the man whom Cherry remembers. After his release, he came out a beast with more secrets and lies than his cage could hold.

Excerpt

After he leaves, I open his wallet, reading his name, address, weight. All of it.

“Phillip DeLuca.” I taste his name running off my lips as I trace my finger over his picture. He’s so handsome. He’s the kind of guy most people would be afraid of, but not me. I want to get to know him. Lost in a daydream, my car door is yanked open.

“Where the fuck is it, bitch?”

“What?” I shriek as I’m pulled out of the car and slammed forward onto the hot hood. “I don’t have anything!” I scream, trying to pull free. He shoves me back down on the hood. His hand tangled in my hair.

“Don’t think about moving,” he spits, his tone harsh. I roll my eyes and continue leaning over the hood. My heart slams against my chest in pure panic, and my hands shake. He pulls away and leans in to the car. Within seconds, he finds his wallet. Shit.

He peers at me with a fierce energy in his eyes. The intensity has me pulling off the hood, scared out of my mind.

“You have some balls,” he mutters, shoving his wallet back in his pocket. His tone is soft and tender suddenly. I turn my head and eye him angrily.

“Fuck you.” I cross my arms and lean my hip against the car. My choice of words more confident than I’m feeling.

He steps up to me and grabs my hips hard with both hands. My skin burns, and my mouth parts with desire. His brown eyes find mine, and his hands yank my body closer to his. I feel like all the air is sucked from my lungs as I search his dark eyes. Placing my hands on his solid chest to steady myself, my palms buzz with excitement.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” He looks me up and down and leans in close. “You’d like it if I pushed you over the hood of this car and fucked you ‘til your legs gave out.” His words feather against my lips, he’s so close. I hold my breath, willing my body to pull away, but I don’t move. Just when I think he’s going to kiss me, he grabs my hand and pulls it upward. I furrow my brows and watch as he pulls a pen from his back pocket, pulling the cap off with his teeth. He writes his number and the word ‘Lip’ on my hand.

“Call me. Don’t make me come find you, Cherry.”

“Cherry?” I ask out loud.

“Your swimsuit,” he yells over his shoulder before starting his bike. I look down at my white shirt noticing my cherry bikini peeking out from the bust line. A smile creeps across my face. I know I shouldn’t like him, but I kind of do. Driving past me, he winks and I swear I sigh like a damn fool.

Michel’s Review

The Lies Between Us by M. N. Forgy is my favorite book in the The Devil’s Dust MC Series. I loved Cherry and Lip’s story! I could not put this book down!

Cherry is the feisty red headed, old lady that befriended Dani in the previous books. We all know that her old man Lip was serving time. Now the readers are going to get her story and witness how she became a valuable member of the Devil’s Dust family.

Cherry has not had an easy life. She grew up in a run down trailer park. She’s had an abusive father and very rough life. She has been bullied, abused, and used. She’s learned to be tough. She’s a survivor.

One drunken mistake sends her life into a tailspin. A drunken hook up with the wrong person leads to a surprise pregnancy. Things couldn’t get worse… but they do. She loses custody of her baby and witnesses the corruption of the legal system. She’s pissed off some very powerful people and now she has a mark on her head. She makes a vow that she is going to get justice and get her baby back.

She is forced into running and living on the streets. She’s living in her car and pulling scams to survive. When a sexy biker falls prey to her scams, not only is she caught, but she has also caught Phillip “Lip” DeLuca’s eye. He wants Cherry.

What starts out as a helping hand evolves into a complicated relationship. A relationship built on lies and secrets. A relationship that is nothing but a smoke screen to cover the real truths behind their passions.

Cherry is hiding her past. She is protecting her secrets until she can get vengeance. Lip’s first priority is the Devil’s Dust MC. He’s willing to do whatever needs to be done. He will go to prison for the club. He will take on an old lady for the club. He will keep Cherry under wraps. What he didn’t count on was Cherry. She is everything he could possibly want in a woman. She has a way of touching the soft side he had long lost. He could really keep her as his old lady but she doesn’t know who he really is. She hasn’t seen his true colors.

Six years of lies and deceipt. Six years of passion and heartache. Six years may not be enough for Cherry and Lip.

After so many lies can they finally open up to each other and prove that through it all they were meant for each other ?

Danger is coming at the club from all directions. Cherry’s past has caught up with her. Lip’s dangerous past is threatening the club. Someone is going to die. The club has gained too many powerful enemies.

This book was fantastic. The story kept me on the edge of my seat guessing to what would come next. There were quite a few surprises. I can honestly say that Cherry & Lip’s story has been my favorite.

M. N. Forgy has grown as a writer. Her stories have become more complex. The build up and delivery are well paced and keeps the reader glued to the pages. The passion is sizzling. The characters come to life and grab your attention.

I can’t wait to see what comes next!

The Devil’s Dust Series

What Doesn’t Destroy Us – Book One

When Dani’s sheltered life is turned upside down by her mother’s secrets, she finds protection with her estranged outlaw father. Against all warnings, she falls for bad boy biker, Shadow. He is beast and beauty sealed in a leather cut with a gun holster. Can Dani learn to live within the Club rules? Is she more like her father than she could imagine?

Shadow has grown up among drug addicts, whores and murderers. The only family he’s ever trusted has been the Devil’s Dust motorcycle club. He will do anything for a brother; even kill. In fact, killing is so easy, he’s made a career of it. His one regret is not being able to kill his own worthless mother. When Dani shows up with her provocative temper and innocent charm, Shadow begins to question his violent lifestyle. But can he trust her with his demons?
Sex.
Blood.
Betrayal.
Will Dani and Shadow let family ties destroy them?
***WARNING***
This novel contains explicit language, sex, drugs, violence, and sexual situations that some might find offensive. This book is intended for adults 18+ years of age.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Scars That Define Us – Book 2

The Devil’s Dust MC has a list of new threats to the club’s lifestyle. Dani, to prove her loyalty, is trying to embrace a part of herself that she never knew existed until now. A sinful beast lurking beneath her surface has been awakened and is ready to eliminate anyone that stands in its way. Looking at her stained hands, she rinses the blood from them. She resigns herself to innocence lost and welcomes her thirst for more blood.

After a breathtaking turn of events, Shadow is looking at life in a different perspective. Not knowing who he can trust or who he can forgive has left him feeling desolate and alone. As Shadow is laying behind his rifle, he wonders if he can pull the trigger to eliminate the threat. He takes a deep breath and squeezes the trigger, the rifle recoil ignites the fuel that drives him.

Retaliations will be required.

Boundaries will be shattered.

Redemption will be lost.

Betrayal so deep, yet they still yearn for one another. Can Shadow overlook Dani’s transgressions? Can Dani overlook the mistrust that Shadow has placed upon her?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Broken Piece Of Us – Book 2.5

***WARNING – This is not your typical happily ever after.

Babs is no stranger to the MC world. As an ol’ lady, she takes the hell that comes with it and dishes it out times two. When things take a turn for the worst, it leaves her questioning just how equipped she is for the hell she lives. She thought her marriage with Locks was it; that she had it all. But the past has a way of sneaking up and tearing life apart. Finding herself trapped as Locks’ ol’ lady, with the threat she will be his till the grave, her world spirals out of control. The only person risking it all to save her is the last person she thought would care: Bull.

The president of the Devil’s Dust MC, Bull, is good at running women off and is even better at pissing off his brothers. When he sees the way his vice-president is treating his ol’ lady, he tries to keep his thoughts to himself. The one thing Bull insists on in his club is respect and loyalty: respect for the patch, respect for your brother, and loyalty to the club. However, after finding Babs in a harsh predicament after a run in with Locks, he can’t help but step in.
Crossing lines and hurdling around life’s unpredictability, will they find refuge in each other or will they have to endure what life gives them?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Love That Defies Us – Novella

Dani has taken the role of a mother easily, and is loving the title ‘wife to be.’ But with that happiness, comes complications. Having children, and a fiancé involved in a motorcycle club, has her and Shadow becoming distant, and missing their sexy escapades. A spark that was once a vibrant flame is now a suppressing ember.

Shadow knows he has not been there for Dani, not like he should be. Doing the dirty work of the club, and taking on the responsibilities of Vice President of The Devil’s Dust, he’s had his hands full.

With violent murders unfolding around the club, it has thrown town locals into a panic. What they didn’t expect was for them to get caught up in the carnage.

Can Dani and Shadow survive the distance that has been wedged between them, or will it have them questioning their imminent marriage?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

The Fear That Divides Us – Book 3

Road Captain of the Devil’s Dust Motorcycle Club, Bobby has the scars to prove just how dangerous his life is. He gives the world he knows hell and loves every moment of it. Wearing a panty-dropping grin along the way, his fierce life has never been a problem for him, until her. Jessica is the only female who has him distracted in his game. After taking him to bed, she’s the only woman to tell him to take a hike. Waking with her gone, he can’t resist her pull. He’s seen the marks on her body, ones which tell the horrors she’s lived through. He’s also seen the fear in her eyes when she lets herself become weak to his advances. Bobby has a decision to make. Can he help Jessica, or will it mean giving up his carefree life?

Jessica, also known as Doc, lives life in fear. Years back, she ran to the Devil’s Dust for protection, seeking the demise of her abusive, dominant husband. Her mind and soul tortured by her past, she can’t allow herself to move forward. The only thing in her sight is her daughter’s safety. Even if she has the attention of one particular tattooed biker, she can’t succumb to his charm and drag her daughter back into a world of danger, no matter how much he thinks he can save her.

Mistakes will be made.

Fears will be faced.

Pain will be remembered.

Can Bobby and Jessica survive the dangers they bring upon themselves?

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

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About M. N. Forgy

M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She’s a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn’t live with the “what if” anymore and finally took a chance on her character’s story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Swag pack, including a signed paperback of What Doesn’t Destroy Us, & $50 Amazon gift card.

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Blow by Kim Karr – The Tainted Love Duet – Book 1

Posted on 09/21/2015 by shellbellereads

One Couple…

Two New Books…

A Story of Tainted Love…

Blow – September 21, 2015 – Book 1

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK

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Crush – November 16, 2015 – Book 2

Pre Order: Amazon

****

Blow

By Kim Karr

Release Date: September 21, 2015

Synopsis

2 fatal sides.

1 epic love.

7 days to survive.

They met in the face of danger. They weren’t looking for love. They both knew better. But they couldn’t stay away, and they fell hard.

He is heart-stopping handsome, fearless—and haunted by deadly ties.

She is breathtakingly beautiful, determined—and in harm’s way.

They should have parted. They didn’t. They never should have fucked. They did. And now time is running out. One hundred sixty eight hours. That’s all that remains. While Logan McPherson fights to save them, Elle Sterling is forced to make a choice that could change everything.

When torn between right and wrong, tainted love doesn’t have a chance…or does it? ‪#‎taintedlove ‪#‎weshouldhaveknownbetter

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK

Excerpt

Prologue

Four Months Before

Logan

Mile after mile, I ran. Faster, feet pounding against the broken asphalt, breath crystalizing in the air. I’d been fleeing along the edge of the road for what seemed like eternity. Trucks zoomed past me, taillights fading in the distance, and still there were no sirens.

The moon slipped behind a cloud and left me moving blindly. Finally, a whistle filled the darkness. It was what I’d been waiting for.

Let’s see how bad they want this.

I spun in the opposite direction and spotted the familiar red and blue lights. With a quick jump, I vaulted over the damaged guardrail and found myself tumbling down a steep ravine.

Landing on my stomach, blood dripped from my nose, and the taste of rust flooded my mouth. I didn’t take the time to wipe it away. I had to keep moving. I’d started this game and I was going to finish it.

Quickly, I leapt to my feet and began to run again. When a sharp burning and throbbing pulsated in my right ankle, I knew my speed would be impaired. I must have twisted it in the fall. With everything I had, I tried to ignore the pain.

Adrenaline pumped through my bloodstream, making my heart race and giving me the strength I needed. I was no longer on the pavement and my terrain was harder to navigate. Trees, broken branches, and the sickening smell of the stagnant river surrounded me. I pushed onward.

It could have been worse—at least there wasn’t any ice.

Still, it was fucking freezing out here. Snow fell around me. Chilled to the bone, I tugged my hat farther down over my ears.

I didn’t stop, though—I had to keep going.

When my eyes were streaming from the cold and my leg muscles began to seize up, I knew my body needed a break. I’d find cover and play the wait-and-see game.

The dilapidated abandoned warehouse a few yards away seemed like my best choice. The hinges were rusted and appeared broken, but when I yanked on the door, it wouldn’t open.

With a sigh, I stomped my salt-stained shoes in the slush I was standing in and looked around.

No sign of them, yet.

They’d be here soon enough.

My lungs burned as I bent over with my hands on my thighs in an attempt to catch my breath.

Poised to move in any direction, I thought about my decision to bait them.

Smart?

Stupid?

I couldn’t believe the game of cat and mouse I had entered into—with the Boston Police Department nonetheless.

But I’d had enough. They’d been following me around for almost a week. Their more-than-obvious tail was bordering on harassment. Pushed to the limit, today I’d decided it was time to find out what it was all about. I was going to force their move. I left my vehicle and took off. They were tracking me, but what they were waiting for to approach me, I had no idea. At this point I had two choices—approach them or keep going. Since I didn’t want to make it easy, I kept running.

Time seemed to be at a standstill as I looked around again. I knew they were close. Yet, as I searched my surroundings, there were no signs of life; everything around me was dark except for the golden glow from the cables of the Zakim Bridge.

The bridge.

I couldn’t believe I’d ended up on the West End. That was more than a slight hike from the tip of the South End, where I’d started all this.

What time was it anyway?

Before I could look at my watch—the one my grandfather had given me, the one worth more than most of the houses in the surrounding area, the pretentious Patek Philippe with an authentic enamel dial and custom-made rubber watchband, the one almost a match for his own—a yellow beam of light shined down on me.

I guess the BPD finally decided to make their move.

A heavily Boston-accented voice carried through the wind. “Put your hands in the air where we can see them.”

“Fuck me. Really? You’re going to arrest me? For what?” My gaze scoured the area until they came into sight.

There were three of them and one of me. I didn’t plan to keep running. I didn’t need to, but even if I wanted to, there was nowhere to go. The riverbank was on one side and they were on the other. The trio moved closer and drew their weapons. I responded with equanimity and raised my palms. Still, not a single one of them lowered a gun. Step by step, they moved toward me. When they were about five feet away, I decided to help them out and face them, but before I could, the tallest figure lunged for me.

He pinned me to the wall. “I just wanted to talk. I wasn’t going to arrest you until you assaulted me. But thanks for giving me a reason.”

“I was putting my hands behind my back, asshole,” I grunted.

“Right,” he snickered.

Nostrils flaring, the fatter one grabbed me by my collar and yanked me to him. “Stop resisting.”

What the fuck?

A quick punch to the gut and a kick to my leg had me belly down in a matter of seconds.

Most men would have been scared shitless, but not me. I grew up living in two very different worlds, the only similarity being power and greed. To look at me, you wouldn’t believe I was capable of doing the things I had done. Born with a silver spoon in my mouth, I was the grandson of one of the wealthiest men in New York City.

It wasn’t my trust fund background that anyone had to worry about, though. I was also the grandson of the former head of Boston’s Blue Hill Gang—a piece of me I had tried to renounce. That I wanted to escape. But my family ties kept me bound. The Irish Mob might have changed since my father’s father ran things, but there were some things that never changed.

I’d been raised in both worlds and these cops knew it. They were counting on the Blue Hill Gang part of me to greet them.

Well fuck them very much—but that’s not what they were going to get.

Michel’s Review

Wow! Blow by Kim Karr was fantastic! I could not put this new contemporary romantic suspense down. Blow is the first book in The Tainted Love Duet.

Blow is an intricately woven story that involves the Irish Mob in Boston. There is the added mystery of a missing woman, missing drugs, and the different factions- two powerful gangs in the mob playing against one another. Add the DEA and law enforcement to the mix and the story gets more intense. Caught in the middle of the mess is an innocent woman and baby. They both may end up being casualties before all is said and done.

After fifteen years of not hearing from her sister, Elle gets a call out of the blue. Her sister Elizabeth asks her to take care of her young daughter Clementine if anything should happen to her. When Elizabeth goes missing, Elle moves to Boston to help her sister’s husband Michael O’Shea, take care of the baby and help find Elizabeth. It is not just a matter of a restless housewife leaving home. There are millions of dollars and missing drugs that belong to the Irish Mob. It is believed that Elizabeth O’Shea is involved. Her husband and child are being threatened. Now that Elle is in the picture, her life is in danger as well.

Logan McPherson has been dividing his time between his families in New York and Boston. One side of the family is powerful old money. The other side of the family has powerful Irish Mob ties. Logan is not a part of the family illegal business and is an attorney in New York. But the mess in Boston has drawn him back. His family is in danger. His family may be involved. Now an innocent woman and baby are drawn into the mess.

It will be up to Logan to figure out what is going on and who is behind it. Logan is falling for Elle which could make her situation even worse. Any woman he loves is a target.

As the danger escalates to an all time high so does the passion between Logan and Elle. Just when they think they figured out how to get out of this mess alive, new players make their moves. Their situation goes from dangerous to absolutely deadly.

Blow ended on a suspenseful cliffhanger. I can’t wait for Crush to release in November.

Kim Karr has woven an intricate story that is passionate and unpredictable. I am hooked!

****

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: The Dark Ones by Rachel Van Dyken

Posted on 09/20/2015 by shellbellereads

To touch a Dark One is death.

To talk to an immortal is suicide.

Yet, I’ve been marked by both.

A Vampire.

And the King of the immortals.

My life is no longer my own.

And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin
with.

It was theirs.

It’s always been theirs.

Barnes & Noble

Smashword

EXCERPT

I didn’t open my eyes. “No staying in bed all day?”

“About that…” Ethan sighed. “The good news is it will feel like we’ve been in bed for days when really it could have been mere hours.”

“Hmm?” I perked up. “Well, that’s a nice trick.”

“I’m full of them.” His eyes sparkled. “Care to know more?”

“Yes,” I whispered, my mouth finding his.

With a groan, he pushed me back against the mattress and loomed over me, his naked body glorious-looking against the sunlight streaming through the window. “Perhaps we’ll stay a bit longer.”

“Yes.” I nodded my head eagerly. “I’m your mate, after all. Don’t you want me to be pleased?”

“You were pleased at least four times last night, possibly five, if we count the time I—”

“Shh.” I put my hands over his mouth.

He smirked. “Afraid the dust will hear?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Ethan!” Alex’s voice boomed on the other side of the door. “Feed her!”

“Ignore him,” Ethan hissed.

The knock got louder. “For the love of God, she’s human. Give her food.”

“He’s a siren. He knows nothing.” Ethan continued kissing me.

“Mason will break down the door if he has to.” Fighting broke out in the hall. “Ethan, I can smell the sex from here. One immortal to another, feed her before you can’t feed from her anymore.”

Ethan growled and pulled back from me. “They have no manners.”

I was half-tempted to cover my face with my hands. Had they heard us? Of course they’d heard us, and they knew, and they could… Yeah, I wanted to crawl under the bed and hide for a few days. Instead, Ethan pounced from the bed, put on a pair of jeans, and jerked open the door while I tried to hide beneath the covers.

Alex peered over Ethan’s shoulder and waved.

I had no choice but to wave back and hope that I wasn’t as red as I felt.

“She’s alive.” Alex held up his hand for a high five. “No? Not funny? Too soon?”

“Horrible joke,” Mason said next to him. “I made eggs. She’s going to need food. Make her eat everything on the plate and—”

He was still talking when Ethan slammed the door in his face and brought a giant plate of food over to me.

“Forgive them.” Ethan scowled. “There aren’t typically secrets between us, and they’re just concerned for you.”

I pointed at the eggs, ten slices of bacon, and toast. “Clearly, they don’t want me to starve.”

“Wolves.” Ethan looked heavenward. “He should be more concerned with his own diet, the ass.”

“It does smell good.” I moved up the bed so I could lean against the headboard. “Do you eat?”

Ethan’s lips curved into a predatory smile. “I ate several times last night. Care for me to refresh your memory?”

My cheeks burned.

“So tempting.” He reached for a piece of bacon and held it to his lips, taking a small bite that had my entire body clenching to keep from reaching out and attacking him. “And yes, I can eat. I typically do eat but haven’t been because when we drink, we don’t need normal food.”

“But before me…” I grabbed a piece of toast. “You were eating normal food.”

“I like you better.” He winked. “But yes, I was.”

“Good to know I’m better than bacon.”

“Your taste…” His eyes brightened. “…is unlike anything I’ve ever had.”

“Hmm…” I licked my lips.

“Stop it,” he hissed and looked away. “Damn, I can’t watch you eat. I’m going to shower while you eat your entire plate as per Mason’s orders, and then I’ll contemplate letting you leave this room so you can go to the bookstore.”

“Ah!” I almost knocked over the food. “My job! Am I late? Will I get fired?”

Ethan burst out laughing. “It’s eight in the morning. He’s expecting you when I drop you off. No sooner, no later. You won’t get fired. He wouldn’t dream of it, and you really are adorable.”

“And hot.” I sighed.

“That too.”

“No, I mean hot, as in, it’s scorching in here.”

Ethan winced. “You may be that way for a few days.”

“Hot?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

“Too much vampire blood makes you overheat a bit.” He shrugged. “It won’t turn you— You’re very much human, like I’ve said before, but sometimes the vampire blood causes a type of burn to take over in your bloodstream, not painful, just not exactly pleasant if it’s a hundred degrees outside.”

“Good thing it’s Seattle.” I bit into the toast.

“Yes, well, I imagine at this point, raindrops would simply turn to vapor if they landed on your skin.”

I smiled.

“Shower.” He nodded. “I’m going to turn around now and walk away.”

“Narrating?”

“Apparently, that’s what I do when I can think of nothing more than ripping that sheet from your body, slamming you into the nearest wall, and possessing you all over again.”

I dropped the toast.

He growled, taking two steps toward me, then swore and turned back around.

“Have a good shower!” I called.

Another growl was his answer, and then his jeans went flying. I wasn’t laughing anymore.

Michel’s Review

Rachel Van Dyken has stepped up her game. Dark Ones is the latest release and it is not what readers have come to expect from Rachel. This book is a paranormal romance that is unique in this genre. It has the combination of paranormal entities such as vampires, werewolves, and sirens. It also has angels and Dark Ones, a combination of human and angel. The Dark Ones are considered to be an abomination in the both realms. Their existence is almost extinct. It is forbidden to reproduce more of their kind.

***

The Dark One Cassius is considered to be the King of the Immortals. His touch can enslave a human. It can give them life or death. Most times it is death.

***

Humans are numbered and called upon to serve the Immortals. They are called for breeding purposes. If they can survive the mating process they may be gifted with eternal life and become immortal themselves. But somewhere in the past 150 years the process became imbalanced. The humans began dying. The immortals were not reproducing. Cassius has gotten out of control and tries to claim each human for himself. The last time he did it he crossed the lines. He stole the vampire’s mate and caused her death. He also killed their child.

***

When the human Genesis is called upon, Cassius thinks because of her name, she is the prophecy that will turn their world back to balance. He wants her for himself. She is the intended mate for Ethan, the vampire. This time around Ethan is not going to let Cassius destroy another human, let alone his mate.

***

The battle has been declared. Immortals are taking sides. The worlds are colliding. Is Genesis the beginning or the end of the world as we know it?

***

Read this book! It is fantastic!

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Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!
You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel’s New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com

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Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway: Pushing The Limits by Brooke Cumberland

Posted on 09/17/2015 by shellbellereads

He’s my art professor.

I’m his student.

With an electric connection and undeniable chemistry, I know it won’t be long until one of us cracks.

When the opportunity arises to pose naked for the entire art class, I can’t help the thrill of knowing he’ll be watching me.

While they all look past me with their eyes narrowed and concentrated, drawing only the lines and angles of my body, he sees right through me down to my vulnerability.

He sees more than just the physical aspects—he sees me.

That’s when I see the struggle in his features as he tries to stay in control.

How do we keep our distance when everything seems to be pulling us together?

What feels so right can only go wrong if we keep pushing the limits.

PROLOGUE

ASPEN

I step inside the doorway, immediately hit with the mixed aroma of mildew and lavender from all the flower arrangements. I narrow my eyes, trying to adjust to the dim lighting. It’s eerily quiet, the service not due to begin for another hour.

My mother was hysterical all night long, crying in her room. I heard her through the bedroom door, but I didn’t go to her. I couldn’t.

I know she blames me.

Mom hadn’t said a word to me all morning, so I asked my older brother, Aaron, to take me early. I want to see Ariel before everyone else starts arriving. See her one last time.

I walk down the short hallway and into the room her service is being held in. Chairs are all lined up perfectly, row by row. The room will probably fill up quickly of family and friends, all coming to give their condolences.

I swallow as I step closer, her casket already open. I notice faint music playing overhead through the speakers. It’s meant to sound soft and soothing, but I don’t know how anything can soothe away the ache burning in my chest.

I glance around and notice the walls look as if they were painted a hundred years ago. The faded beige carpet is almost nonexistent. Flowers surround her on one side and a table of vanilla scented candles on the other. Nothing in this whole room represents her except the collage board of pictures she had hanging in our room. She made it two summers ago and had been adding pictures of her friends and us ever since. It captures every part of her personality.

We lived on farmland with only fields surrounding us. No neighbors or friends to play with meant we’d learned to entertain ourselves. I remember the day she got a new camera for Christmas and immediately started taking pictures—of everything. We’d giggle and snap pictures of each other, torment Aaron and take his picture when his girlfriend was over, and take about a hundred pictures of our pets. I smile at the memories but at the same time feel like crying because now there won’t be anymore. The memories we’ve made the last fourteen years are all I have left of her.

When Pastor Jay asked us to bring in our favorite pictures of her, I knew immediately she’d want these. I step closer and examine them, even though I’ve looked at it every single day for the past two years. Somehow today, it looks different.

There’s the one of us standing in front of the middle school on our first day of seventh grade. We were assigned different homerooms and weren’t happy about being apart. Another one shows us with our dog, Fudge, the first day we brought him home from the shelter. We’ve only had him for six months now. He was a rescue and she said she knew he was the perfect fit for our family.

After tracing the lines of each picture, I slowly walk to her casket. I pleaded with my mom to let her wear her favorite purple dress, but she refused. She said it was an ‘occasion’ dress, AKA—a happy occasion. Instead, she picked out a dark, navy blue dress that she absolutely loathed wearing. My lip curls up on one side thinking how much she’d hate wearing this dress right now. She hated wearing dresses in general, but now, oh she’d be so pissed. Part of me wants to laugh at the irony and the other part wants to rip it off her and sneak the purple dress on.

I glance down at her, curling my fingers tightly around the edge of her casket. She looks flawless, almost like she’s just sleeping. Even looking at her right now, seeing that she isn’t breathing anymore, it hasn’t all sunk in.

For the first time in days, I let myself cry. I cry harder than I ever have, I’ve held the tears in, trying to remain strong for Mom, but I can’t do it anymore. I release all the pain I’ve kept inside and apologize to her over and over.

“I’m so sorry, Ari. God, I’m so, so sorry.” I blink, wiping my cheeks off. “You hated that nickname,” I say, letting out a short laugh. I exhale a deep sigh. “I’m going to miss you so much,” I whisper, reaching for her hand. “I’m going to miss you sneaking in my bed and sleeping with me every time a storm hit. I’m going to miss staying up late on weekends, gossiping about Brady Carmichael and all the guys on the basketball team. Or the girls who think purple lipstick is in.” I chuckle softly to myself. “I’m even going to miss arguing with you over who gets to use the shower first. It was like our little tradition, I guess.” My lips soften, curling up on both sides at the happy memories. “Truthfully, I’m going to miss everything about you.” I lean down and kiss the top of her forehead. “I love you.”

I hear footsteps in the hall and take that as my cue to start heading out. People will be arriving soon, and I’m not quite sure I’m strong enough to deal with everyone. Half feel sorry for me and the other half blame me.

I’m not sure which one is worse.

“Aspen…” I hear my dad’s deep voice. I turn and face him, his lips set in a firm line, his eyes as empty as I feel right now. “Your mother wants to talk to you.”

I swallow at his tense features, but nod and follow him out of the room. He’s barely speaks or looks at me now. I’m only a constant reminder of what happened—of who he’s lost—of how our lives are forever changed.

He leads me to a small room on the other side of the hall where she’s sitting with her nose buried in a handkerchief.

I stand in front of her and wait. I’m not sure what to say to my mom right now—or anyone for that matter. I’m not sure there’s anything I can say.

“I need to hear the story one more time,” she chokes out. “I need to hear why my baby girl is dead.”

Her head is low and she refuses to look at me. I’ve told her and the police the story several times already, but every day since the incident she’s demanded to hear it again.

“Mom…” I begin, my eyes filling up again. “I can’t. Not again.”

“Tell me!” She raises her voice, finally tilting her head to look up at me. Her face contorted in a mixture of grief and disgust.

I do as she says. I repeat the story the same exact way I did the first dozen times. No matter how much it hurts to talk about, I explain what happened.

“How could you let that happen?” she mumbles. “How could you be so careless? I just don’t understand!”

“Mom, it’s not Aspen’s fault…” Aaron interrupts, stepping next to me.

“Mama, I’m sorry,” I burst out through a new wave of tears. I’ve apologized to her and Daddy over and over. But I know they’ll never forgive me.

I’ll never forgive me.

Aaron wraps an arm around my shoulders and cradles me to his chest. I hear my mom huff in disapproval. I push against his chest, wiping the tears off my cheeks as I storm off.

I’ll never forget the way her eyes widened in fear as she fell to her death. The way her body lay on the ground, motionless. The way her voice begged for my help as she screamed on the way down.

I’ll never forget.

I don’t tell Mom and Dad those things though. The images already haunt me in my sleep. The sound of her screaming has woken me up the past two nights. Every time I attempt to fall asleep, her dead eyes appear in my mind. It’s no use, I tell myself. There’s barely a difference between existing and sleeping now.

Life without her is pointless.

People start arriving, so Mom, Dad, Aaron, and I all stand in the front near her casket. I swallow my emotions down and refuse to cry. I shut down. I shut everything down. I let them hug me and say how sorry they are for our loss. I let them cradle my head as they press me against their chests. I let them squeeze my hands as they tell me how much she will be missed. I let them do whatever they need to express their feelings. But I don’t cry. I quietly thank them and look down at my feet.

When the service is over, we gather at the cemetery to bury her. A large bouquet of white lilies rests on her closed casket. I step forward and pull one out for myself before they lower her in the ground. Mom and Dad do the same, but they don’t look at me. Dad wraps his arm around her shoulders, holding her close as she cries.

I grip the obituary program tightly in my hand and stare down at her picture displayed on the cover. Mom used her most recent school photo from this past year, although it hadn’t been her favorite. I don’t know why though, she looked stunning as usual—bright smile, sparkling green eyes, and flowing golden blonde hair.

Underneath it reads, Loving Daughter and Sister. Gone too soon, but never forgotten. 4-10-1995 to 4–10-2009.

She died on our birthday.

I swallow as I take it all in. April tenth was our favorite day. We’d wake up early to Mom making us our favorite breakfast—the only day of the year she’d make it—Belgian waffles with melted cream cheese frosting drizzled on top and then slathered in homemade maple syrup. She used fresh blueberries—instead of frozen—on top. She called it our special birthday breakfast and every year we looked forward to it.

After breakfast, we’d rip our presents open from our parents and later on exchange the ones we made for each other. For the last few years, we’d talk Mom into letting us skip school for the day. She wouldn’t even bother arguing with us, knowing she’d eventually cave anyway. So when we woke up on our birthday five days ago, we’d done everything the exact same.

We laughed all through breakfast. Mom was going on and on about how she couldn’t believe how grown up her baby girls were getting and how old that made her feel. Aaron was three years older than us, but apparently he was born out of wedlock and didn’t count in her aging process.

After we finished eating, Mom handed us each a card and watched as we ripped them open. We both squealed when we saw the hundred-dollar bill tucked inside.

As we wrapped our arms around her, she lectured us. “Don’t spend it all in one place, girls!” We then begged her to take us to the mall so we could of course spend it on clothes and makeup.

“You’ll have to wait until your father gets back,” she said, piling the dishes into the sink. We ran upstairs and got dressed, setting our money down on the dresser and running back outside. It was warm for April, just a slight breeze in the air.

It was perfect.

I smile at the memory of our birthday traditions. It was something we’ve always shared. Should have shared forever.

She’d always tease me about how she was older, granted it was only by three minutes, but now the day would be pointless.

A painful reminder of what happened.

Of what I lost.

Michel’s Review

Pushing The Limits by Brooke Cumberland is a fantastic sexy teacher/student romance. This romance takes on a life within itself and makes the art world explode within the readers imagination. It is well written with well a well developed plot and charismatic characters.

Aspen has lived a very heartbreaking childhood. Her teen years were ripped from her when her twin sister, Ari, dies in an accident. After Ari’s death Aspen’s life changed. She lost a part of herself. The only way to express her grief, her anger, and her despair is through her art. Her art takes on a life of itself.

Professor Morgan Hampton has had a tragic past himself. The very thing that drove him from home has forced him to return. This time he’s returning to mourn. He is also returning to raise a niece that was left behind. He has taken a job teaching advanced art. When he sees Aspen’s work he is mesmerized by her talents. He’s mesmerized by her expression of emotions in her art. He’s mesmerized by the beautiful woman creating the masterpieces. To him she is a masterpiece.

Both Aspen and Morgan have a lot of guilt, grief, and emotions that have been holding them back. They also have to deal with their forbidden relationship.

Not only do they have issues to deal with but also a vindictive professor that is determined to ruin Aspen’s chance at grad school. It could destroy Morgan’s career as well.

In the midst of this is a grieving eleven year old girl not only dealing with her father’s death but puberty as well.

Pushing The Limits kept me captivated. It was well written and displayed many emotional moments. The love scenes were emotional and sexy. The emotional moments pulled at the heartstrings. I highly recommend this book.

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Brooke Cumberland is a USA Today Bestselling author who’s a stay-at-home mom and writes full-time. She lives in the frozen tundra of Packer Nation with her husband, 4 year old wild child, and two teenage stepsons. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading love stories, listening to music that inspires her, and laughing with her family. Brooke is addicted to Starbucks coffee, leggings, and anything sweet. She found her passion for telling stories during winter break one year in grad school and she hasn’t stopped since.

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Release Blitz + Excerpt + Review + Giveaway: Bad Romance by Jen McLaughlin

Posted on 09/16/2015 by shellbellereads

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BAD ROMANCE

A Stepbrother Novel

Jen McLaughlin

Releasing Sept 15th, 2015

In this explosive novel from bestselling author Jen McLaughlin, a good girl falls for the ultimate bad boy: her stepbrother. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Paige, Caitlin Daire, and Krista Lakes, Bad Romance proves that passion can be so wrong it’s right.

Seven years in the army will change a guy. But after a shoulder wound ends his career as a sniper, Jackson Worthington finds himself back home, fighting a battle that’s all too familiar: keeping his hands off Lily Hastings. She’s still her rich daddy’s little angel, innocent, impossibly lovely, as squeaky-clean as Jackson is dirty. And she’s still his stepsister—forbidden but not forgotten, not after the soul-melting kiss that got him kicked out of the house at eighteen. He couldn’t resist her then. How the hell can he resist her now?

Lily is about to marry a man she doesn’t love, and commit to a high-stress job she hates, all to please the father who controls every waking moment of her life. On top of everything, her teenage crush is back, with a sleek, chiseled body and a trace of the rebellious boy whose lips sealed her fate. Jackson’s timing couldn’t be worse . . . or better. Because Lily’s all grown up, too. She’s aching for another taste. And for the first time, she’s ready to be a bad girl.

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Excerpt

Walt, my stepfather, frowned at the letter in his hand. “Yale said they would take him, despite his bad grades. I have to buy his way in, but I will.”

“They did?” Mother gasped, smiling.

“‘He’s’ right here,” I said drily. “And doesn’t want to go to Yale.”

Neither of them noticed.

“At least he can amount to something, unlike his father.”

Mother smiled even wider. “Thanks to you, Walter.”

“You’ll go at the end of the month,” Walt said, not even looking at me, even though he clearly spoke to me. “You’re dismissed.”

The hell I was. “I don’t want to go to Yale. I’m joining the army.”

Walt laughed. “Not in my house.”

This was bullshit. Everything about it was. Mother was married for the millionth time, and this time to a man who quite clearly didn’t want the extra kid that came along with her. No big shocker, there. His new wife didn’t exactly want me, either.

She never tried to hide that fact from me.

Had told me, straight up to my face.

But to have some pompous prick all up in my business, telling me what I had to do with the rest of my life as if I needed to listen to him, was the last straw. I was eighteen years old. I didn’t have to listen to Walter Hastings. Or to his wife.

Screw them all.

They’d only been married a few months, and he wasn’t my damn stepfather, no matter what he thought. I mean, he was. Legally. But I didn’t need him.

I didn’t need anyone.

So I stood up, fisting my hands at my sides. “I don’t want to be a lawyer. I already told you that.”

Walt laughed. “And I told you that, under my roof, you do what I tell you to do, and that’s that. You’ll do it, and you’ll like it. I won’t budge.”

“Neither will I, Walt.”

“Don’t call me that,” Walt said, his voice low and seething. His name was Walter, and he hated it when I called him Walt . . . which was why I did it. “My name is Walter, or Mr. Hastings, or sir. No one calls me Walt. Learn some respect, boy.”

I didn’t answer. Just smirked.

Walt could kiss my ass.

“Jackson, dear . . .” Mother fidgeted. “It’s a good career. You’ll be lucky if you live to see the other side of twenty if you join the army. Listen to your father. He knows what’s best for you.”

I stiffened. I might not know my father, but I knew one thing. Walt wasn’t him. “He knows shit, and he sure as hell doesn’t know me because he’s not my father. He has no idea what’s best for me, or who I am. Or what I want. I want to—”

“Watch your mouth, young man, and how you speak to your mother. You’re going to law school, to Yale. That’s final, so get it into your head. End of discussion.” Walter picked up his newspaper, addressing his wife. “And if he wants to continue living here, he will stop annoying me.”

I gritted my teeth, because he was a tight-suited asshole. “Then I’ll leave this house. Go out on my own. Make my own way.”

“Over my dead body. You’re part of this family now, and while you are, you’ll live up to the Hastings name. And that’s all that will be said on this matter. You may go,” Walter said dismissively, flicking a hand my way. “I’m finished with you.”

There was so much I wanted to say, but why bother? I knew it was a waste of my time, so I walked away from them both. He wouldn’t listen, and, really, it didn’t matter even if he did. Officially, I was an adult now, so I didn’t need their approval to sign up for duty, no matter what they seemed to think. End of discussion. What the fuck was that, anyway? The discussion was over when both parties decided it was. Not one.

Pompous prick.

As I left, I heard Walt sigh. “Honestly, Nancy, I don’t know what to do with that boy. Are you sure his father won’t take him off our hands? He’s nothing like my Lilly.”

Ah . . . Lilly Hastings. Fifteen. Rich. Smart. Sweet as hell. And gorgeous, to boot. Walter didn’t deserve her, and it boggled my mind that she was the old man’s daughter, because she was nothing like him. Everything she got, she must’ve gotten from her deceased mother. That was the only thing I could figure.

I initially tried to hate her on principle, but the thing was, I couldn’t. From my first day here, when she brought me chocolate chip cookies because they were my favorite, till today, she’d been nothing but kind to me. She was the only person who made life in the Hastings household bearable. And because Lilly was the total opposite of her father, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hate her.

And believe me, I tried.

Michel’s Review

Bad Romance is the perfect title for Jen McLaughlin’s latest release. This new adult romance gives a new meaning to forbidden love.

Jackson and Lily have everything working against their love, including Lily herself. They are step siblings that were separated years before due to extreme family issues that ended up in an explosive separation. Jackson joined the military and spent years working towards his career. Lily grew up and became the woman her father wanted her to be. She surrendered herself.

When Jackson returns to town and runs into Lily, she is reminded of the girl she once was. She also feels just as deeply for Jackson as she did the day he left. But life has changed her and she is on a new path.

An arranged marriage, a violent fiance, hostile parents, PTSD, and a failing corporation are only some of the road blocks standing between Jackson and Lily. It will be up to them how they choose to go forward. One thing for certain, it is a bad romance that feels so good.

Jen McLaughlin wrote an angsty romance that fans of new adult romance are going to embrace whole heartedly. I found the book a bit predictable and had a hard time connecting with the characters and their relationship. I had a bit of a hard time buying to overall situation that was holding Lily back because this is the new millennium. There are too many solutions to her plight.

Overall Bad Romance was entertaining.

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Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy books with Penguin and Random House. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is also an USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and three cats. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

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Release Day Blitz: Dirty Promises by Karina Halle – The Dirty Angels Series – Book 3

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Dirty Promises

Dirty Angels Series – Book 3

By Karina Halle

Release Date : September 15, 2015

Synopsis

Dirty Promises is the final book in The Dirty Angels Trilogy. While the first two books can be read as standalones, Dirty Promises can not. Reading Dirty Angels and Dirty Deeds beforehand is HIGHLY recommended.

Also, people sensitive to violence and immoral characters who make questionable decisions should refrain from reading this book. The real cartel life is not pretty, not easy and certainly NOT romantic and that is more than reflected in Dirty Promises.
Blood. Sex. Revenge.
It ain’t easy being king.
Drug lord Javier Bernal has sliced and diced his way to the top of the Mexican drug trade, presiding over the country’s largest cartel. But his rise to power comes at a brutal price: the death of his sister, Alana. Devastated and wracked with guilt, he turns away from his new wife, Luisa, forcing their marriage into a steady decline. But it isn’t until she’s pushed into the waiting arms of Esteban Mendoza, his right-hand man, that Javier realizes everything he’s lost.
And it isn’t until he learns the truth about Alana, that he realizes everything there is to gain.
Blood will spill.
Cities will burn.
Heads will roll.
Because Javier will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.
And what he wants is raw, ruthless revenge.
The most dangerous man is the one with nothing left to lose.

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EXCERPT

My gun began to feel heavy in my hands. I needed to use it, and soon.

Light was seeping in underneath the door, so I pushed my goggles up on my head and slowly pushed it open.

The kitchen was empty, and the only light came from above the stove. The fridge hummed and the house was silent except for muffled laughter coming from down the hall.

A terrible scream splintered the room.

A man’s scream.

Had the ambush already begun?

I exchanged a worried glance with Diego as we heard doors further down the hall being flung open. Footsteps.

People ran past the kitchen, heading up the stairs toward the scream, not bothering to look our way.

All of them except for Juanito, that was.

He stopped dead in his tracks at the archway, staring at us like we were ghosts. I couldn’t help but grin.

He snapped out of it, reaching for his gun, but mine was already aimed at him. I shot him in the kneecaps, both of them, just as his gun fired, bullets cracking the ceiling.

Then, as if on cue, all of the outside erupted in gunfire. The sound shook the walls, and through the rattling windows bursts of light filled the sky. My army was here.

I ran over to Juanito who was screaming in pain, and picked him up by the collar, shaking him.

“All right you little fuckface,” I sneered at him, trying to fight the urge to strangle the fucking life out of him. “Tell me where Esteban is and I’ll make your death painless. Don’t tell me and I’ll break your bones with a hammer. Which one is it?”

His screaming wouldn’t stop. I shook him again. “You can’t protect him now. You’ll never fucking walk again and he sure as hell won’t give two fucks about a pathetic piece of garbage like you. So talk.”

But before he could, Diego was calling out my name. I let go of Juanito, rolling over him just in time as the air above me burned with bullets. Diego fired back at the assailants, and I kept rolling until I was behind the kitchen island. I quickly reached for the grenade which I knew could take out enough of them without damaging the structural integrity of the house, and tossed it out of the kitchen. It rolled down the hallway.

They yelled at each other to move but it was too late. I pressed my hands over my ears as the blast went off.

“Jesus, Javi,” Diego swore as pieces of plaster rained down on him. “You haven’t even moved back in yet.”

I didn’t care if it was sloppier than my usual methods — it was efficient. I scrambled to my feet and stared at the wreckage. There was a ragged hole in the wall, smoke and flames licking the edge.

I shrugged. “I wanted to open up that room anyway.”

Miraculously, or something of that nature, Juanito was still alive, holding on to his bleeding and blasted knees as he writhed on the floor.

He was missing half his face though, so it wasn’t like he escaped the explosion unscathed. He was very scathed and crawling for freedom.

I covered my nose and mouth with the crook of my elbow and walked into the smoke, letting it wash over me. Juanito looked up at me with what was left of him, begging for mercy with an outstretched hand.

I stepped on his hand instead, crunching the bones beneath my boot.

“That was for my sister,” I seethed. “I know you intercepted her call when she was calling me for help.”

“Javier, we have to go,” Diego said, coughing and coming over to stop me. A war was raging around me, but none of it mattered. All that mattered was an eye for an eye.

This time I stomped on Juanito’s arm, driving it in with all my might, like I was squashing a cockroach, until I felt it break beneath me.

He screamed.

I smiled.

But I was the furthest thing from happy.

And Juanito couldn’t even speak at this point. His mouth was a flap of burning skin, covering a gaping hole. He was useless.

I slid the hunter’s knife out of its sheath, and with one swift motion, stabbed it downward into the top of his skull.

The screaming stopped.

Robin’s Review

So…..I just finished reading Dirty Promises by Karina Halle. Dirty Promises is absolutely phenomenal, but this story is not going to be for everyone. If you’re expecting a new adult or contemporary romance similar to Where Sea Meets Sky or Racing the Sun or Love, in English, you are going to be surprised! You need to have a strong threshold for reading about torture, rape and many other depraved acts. If you are sensitive to these types of violence, please thoughtfully consider whether or not to move forward with reading this story. Now on to the good stuff!

Although each novel of the Dirty Angels series can be read as a standalone, I recommend these books be read in order. In fact, I will take this statement one step further and recommend that you read Sins & Needles, Shooting Scars and Bold Tricks before beginning the Dirty Angels series. The events that take place in The Artists Trilogy occur before the Dirty Angels series and many of the characters cross over into Dirty Angels, Dirty Deeds and Dirty Promises. It’s not absolutely necessary, but I think if you read The Artists Trilogy first, it may improve your reading experience. I consider both of these series to be dark romantic suspense, with a key emphasis on the word dark.

The plot of Dirty Promises centers on a Mexican cartel, with the main characters being drug lord Javier Bernal, his queen Luisa Bernal, and their second-in-command, Esteban Mendoza. Javier and Luisa are having marital problems. Esteban is jealous of Javier and power hungry. He seeks to exploit any weakness that Javier may have. What plays out is a chess match – players maneuvering to see who will come out on top. I don’t want to give too much away, but as you can imagine, the cartel lifestyle is brutal. It’s every man for himself, and as you probably know, drug lords rule by fear.

Esteban Mendoza. Javier Bernal. Esteban is sexually depraved. Javier, our antihero, likes to inflict pain. Actually, both of these men like to inflict pain, but at least Javier has the capability of feeling remorse. Esteban is pure evil. Both of these men are fueled by hatred and rage, while Luisa spirals downward into an exceedingly black frame of mind. Dirty Promises is told from the perspective of each of these characters. Karina Halle pushes the boundaries of dark writing in this novel. It’s creativity at the darkest level. Reading their thoughts put me in a very dark place. In fact, there were moments when this novel was almost too intense for me to read.

The true strength of Dirty Promises lies in the writing. Karina Halle has written more than twenty-five books which span over several genres. With this being said, I believe Dirty Promises may be Halle’s best book yet. She shows the true extent of her talent and creativity, and her artistic and storytelling skills. Her descriptive writing appeals to the senses of those who read her novels, even the most seasoned readers, and the effect is truly astounding. Her descriptive writing gives you the feeling of witnessing a scene firsthand, kind of like the movies, with the benefit of knowing what the characters are thinking. I’m going to be honest with you. If you love dark novels, if you think you can handle the violence, I highly recommend Dirty Promises! Karina Halle gets a 6-star rating from me, and I will definitely be including this novel on my list of 2015 favorites!

Michel’s Review

Dirty Promises by Karina Halle is the grand finale in the Dirty Angels Series. The ending was epic! Karina Halle pulled out a handful of surprises, gruesome shockers, and realistic scenes that make this story credible. She allowed these characters to fail and hit rock bottom . When they found the strength to pick themselves up and fight back, it was not a classic fairytale battle where Prince Charming conquers, wins the princess, and they live happily ever after. It’s a dirty dark story. It’s a dirty fight. Some would say that Javier conquered his world and won. He may have came out the last man standing but it was not without paying a very heavy price.

Javier Bernal is the King. He’s become the leader of one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. He rules his kingdom with a heavy hand. He’s ruthless, at times heartless, and would not hesitate to kill if you cross him. He lives by his own code of honor and has stayed true to it throughout the years. But one incident changes him and his kingdom begins to crumble. His marriage begins to fail. His power is waning. His right hand man, Esteban Mendoza, is stepping in and taking his kingdom, including his queen, Luisa Bernal.

Javier has sunk to deepest depths of hell. He has become the devil himself. He has lost his sense of honor. He has become the man he never wanted to be. Power was too seductive. It cost him his wife and family. It cost him his cartel and power.

Javier will have to reach deep to find himself. He has some powerful tricks up his sleeve. He will never surrender, even if it means his queen must die.

Luisa Bernal is caught in Javier’s path to hell. She is a pawn between two men seeking absolute power. Her love for Javier has destroyed her. Her love for Javier will be her death. She may not have chose this life but she will choose to die with her dignity. Even Javier cannot take that away from her.

A brutal bloodbath that takes many lives will prove who will come out on top. No one is going to be the same.

This book was very realistic portraying the violence in the Mexican Cartels. It is gruesome, violent, abusive, and degrading. At the same time there are valuable life lessons learned. Choices that will either define them as humans or monsters. In the end Javier Bernal is going to face his sins. It will be up to him to choose what kind of man he wants to be.

Karina Halle did not hold back in this story. She gave the reader an action packed, edge of the seat ,dark romantic suspense book. Her writing was incredible. As a reader you are drawn into their world and witnessing this dark story as it unfolds.

I highly recommend The Dirty Angels series. These books need to be read in series order. I would also recommend reading the Artist Trilogy along with the novella, On Every Street. The Artist Trilogy introduces the readers to Javier Bernal as a young man on his quest for power. The reader gets a true sense of the man he is and how he evolved into what some would call the devil himself.

______________________________________________________________

The Dirty Angels Trilogy

Dirty Angels

Dirty Angels Trilogy – Book 1

From the USA Today Bestselling author of Love, in English and The Artists Trilogy, comes a dark romance about a good girl and a very, very bad man. It’s a deliciously twisted take on forbidden love, set among the drug cartels of hot, steamy Mexico and is not for the faint of heart. It contains explicit sex, violence, abuse, drug use, bad language and sexy Mexicans. You have been warned…

For Luisa Chavez, a twenty-three year old former beauty queen, a better life has always been just out of her reach. Sure, she’s had men at her feet since she was a young teenager but she’s never had the one thing she’s craved – security. Having grown up in near poverty, her waitressing job in Cabo San Lucas can barely let her take care of herself, let alone her ailing parents. Every day is another unwanted advance, every day is a struggle to survive.

When Salvador Reyes, the depraved leader of a major Mexican cartel, takes an interest in her, Luisa is presented with an opportunity she can’t afford to pass up. She’ll become Salvador’s wife and exchange her freedom and body for a life of riches – riches she can bestow upon her deserving parents. But Luisa quickly finds out that even the finest wines and jewels can’t undo the ugliness in her marriage, nor the never-ending violence that threatens her every move.

Soon, Luisa is looking for an escape, a way out of the carefully controlled life she’s leading. She finally gets her wish in the worst way possible.

As it is, being the wife of Salvador makes her an ideal target for rival cartels and there’s one particular man who needs Luisa as part of his cartel’s expansion. One particular man whose quest for power has destroyed lives, slit throats and gotten him out of an American prison. One particular man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.

That man is Javier Bernal. And he wants Luisa. He wants to take her, keep her, ruin her.

Unless she ruins him first.

Some men were born to create empires, some women were meant to be queen.

**Dirty Angels is the first standalone novel in the Dirty Angels Trilogy, in which all books feature or involve different characters. The character of Javier Bernal is from The Artists Trilogy, and while reading TAT is recommended if you want additional insight into this twisted character, it is not required.**

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

************

Dirty Deeds

Dirty Angels Trilogy – Book 2

By Karina Halle

Synopsis

From The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of The Pact and Sins & Needles, comes the next standalone novel in the darkly romantic suspense Dirty Angels Trilogy – DIRTY DEEDS.

As a flight attendant, Alana Bernal has had her share of suitors. She’s also had more than her fair share of tragedy within her messed-up family. But what she hasn’t had is love. Real, rip-your-heart-out, tear-your-clothes-off, all-consuming love.

At least that was the case until she met an American tourist, Derek Conway, a ripped ex-soldier with steely eyes and a commanding presence.

What started as a chance encounter between the two in Puerto Vallarta, a weekend full of hot sex and mindless passion, has led to something more.

Something deadly.

Because Derek isn’t the type of man to fall in love. He’s not a man who sticks around.

And he’s definitely not in Mexico on vacation.

Derek is a mercenary, a killer-for-hire, a man who does the ugly jobs for the highest bidder.

Unfortunately for Alana and Derek, the highest bidder has the power to destroy whatever worlds they have created for themselves.

The highest bidder can destroy everything.

NOTE: this book follows Dirty Angels but can be read as a standalone. It has scenes of violence, harsh language and sexual situations. Not intended for those under 18.

Buy: Amazon

Dirty Promise

Book 3

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo
_____________________________________________________________________

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky, Racing the Sun, The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle , on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

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Release Blitz + Series Review: Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper…

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

Softer Than Steel

Love & Steel Series – Book 2

By Jessica Topper

Synopsis

From the author of Deeper than Dreams and the Much “I Do” About Nothing novels, a story that proves that you have to find yourself before you can find love…

As rock star “Riff Rotten”, Rick Rottenberg has enjoyed all the perks that fame can offer, especially now that he’s reunited with his former band mate, Adrian “Digger” Graves. But despite his success, Rick is a mess. Still reeling from the death of his wife years ago and terrified his demons will end his career, he agrees to seek help for his anxiety.

Burned by a musician in the past, Sidra Sullivan has closed her heart to love. So when Rick walks into her yoga studio, she wants nothing to do with him–until the bad boy shows an unexpected soft side.

As Sidra and Rick work through their painful pasts, they realize just how strongly opposites can attract. But when a crisis threatens the delicate balance they’ve forged, they’ll discover if their love is strong enough to weather another storm or just too broken to survive…

INCLUDES A PREVIEW OF THE FIRST LOVE & STEEL NOVEL: LOUDER THAN LOVE

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

“Making music has got to be like . . . like childbirth, bringing something totally new into the world like that. Isn’t that scary?”

Rick contemplated her comparison and she waited, watching him with those incredible eyes, both dark and bright. “Yes, in a way it’s bloody terrifying,” he admitted. The creating and the coaxing, making sure what you envisioned in your head translated into reality and not just a shadow of itself. “But the excitement and exhilaration trumps the fear.” He popped a pair of headphones on her ears and backed out of the room with a grin.

Behind the console, he flicked switches, adjusted levels, and pressed the talkback button. “Pay no attention to the man behind the glass,” he whispered, but Sidra’s broad smile told him the console mic had sent his fluid murmur to her ears crystal clear.

She tentatively tapped the double-mesh screen of the microphone in front of her. “But don’t you worry, once it’s out in the world . . . what everyone thinks of it? Of you?”

“I used to get caught up in it. But you’ve just got to trust and make peace with the fact that you put in—and put out—your very best effort.”

The track he chose for her flowed not only through her headphones, but the speakers of the console in front of him as well, its beat and melody causing the indicator lights to jump and fall in time. Sidra’s eyes closed and her frame rocked slightly. To me, Rick thought.

That’s my music, moving her.

Michel’s Review

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Softer Than Steel by Jessica Topper. The Love & Steel series is an unique rock star romance series. Rather than featuring young rock gods making their rise to fame, Jessica chose to create rock god legends making a comeback from their super stardom of the eighties. These are middle aged men that can rock the house and still make the panties drop.

Softer Than Steel features Rick Rottenberg , aka Rick Rotten. He’s at crossroads in his life and the pressure is on. Rick is a widower, father, empty nester, perfectionist, and lead vocalist for the band. He can handle being on the stage in the spotlight better than he can handle most social situations. He has anxiety attacks that can be brought on by the slightest imbalance or new situation. He hasn’t engaged in relationships with the opposite sex since his wife passed fourteen years earlier. He carries guilt, grief, and remorse with stoic pride. He loved fiercely and lost his wife too early.

The band has been touring for the last four years. They were supposed to control their own destiny but the old patterns are playing out. Adrian is finally going to get married. The band is finally going to make an new album. For Rick this is his main focus and priority, for the other members of the band it is secondary to their own personal lives.

Rick’s panic attacks escalate and he starts to take yoga as a way of releasing his built up tensions. Rick wanted to learn how to control his panic attacks but he got a bonus to go along with it. He was learning to love again.

Sidra is a yoga instructor. Her vast knowledge of the practice keeps her students coming back for more. When the handsome English Professor joins her class, she finds herself deeply attracted to her new student. When she finds out he is a famous musician all bets are off. She’s been there, done that, and walked away deeply scarred. Never again! But Rick is persistent and he shows Sidra there are more sides this man than fame and music.

I really enjoyed the book but it felt a bit slower than the previous books in this series. The book was too well researched. The practice of yoga took over the story and the main characters seemed secondary. I did not feel the overwhelming chemistry, attraction, or passion between Sidra and Rick. I also think that there were too many secondary characters that hindered the flow of the book because the reader had to stop and think how they were connected to the story before they could move on in the passage. There were the band members, their business associates, Kat’s group of friends and their families, Sidra’s family and friends, yoga instructors, and other supporting characters. Also there were too many different themes going on. Sidra was half Indian and half Irish. There was focus on her culture as well as her family background. The reader also got to experience her past relationship with a musician that left heartbroken. Rick was English and Jewish and there was quite a bit of focus on that, not to mention the band’s past and present careers. There was also a focus on Rick’s personal past and his loss. There was just too much going on in this book and the romance got lost in many passages.

Overall it was a well written book but just not the same caliber as the previous books in this series.

I would still highly recommend the Love & Steel Series by Jessica Topper.

The Love & Steel Series

Louder Than Love – Book 1

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband…and discovers a love that defies classification.

It’s been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth…the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian “Digger” Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids’ TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it’s unclear whose past looms larger: the widow’s or the rocker’s. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

Reviewed: September 2013

A strong debut for new author Jessica Topper.

Louder Than Love is an extraordinary love story. It’s about second chances in life. It is about making peace with oneself and moving on to become a better person. It is about letting go of grief and moving on.

Adrian “Digger” Graves was once a metal guitar god in the eighties. His star burned bright. Corroded Corpse was the metal band could shred the metal and rock the house. Fame, fortune, sex, drugs, and corruption ruled his life. It also sent him spiraling down into the depths of hell. It was time to pay the devil his dues. In the process he lost himself. He lost his family. He lost his self respect. He lost his band. It took him years to recover and become a part of the real world once again. He learned from his mistakes and vowed he would never make them again. Along the way he learned there were other things more important in life than fame and fortune.

Katrina Lewis had the perfect life. She had the perfect husband and child. One tragic moment takes it all away. Now she is a single parent trying to overcome her grief. She’s not ready to move on but she knows it’s time. When she seeks out the mysterious composer that created music for a popular children’s show to perform at her library, she’s in for a great surprise. Rather than getting an unknown musician, she gets Digger Graves from Corroded Corpse. The rock god that covered her bedroom walls as a teenager. Kat is going to learn that there is more to this legend. She’s going to meet the man who’s music touches her soul. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing a children’s song or shredding the metal, he controls the strings to her lost heart.

Louder Than Love is unique because of the characters. This is not your typical rocker book that is in the new adult genre. It is a mature contemporary romance with mature characters. They have both loved and lost. They both have had lives that most would of would envy and want for their own. Both their worlds tumbled out of control. Amongst the chaos they both survived their worlds and came out different people. They have both had to rebuild their lives, rebuild themselves, and face past mistakes. The end result is that they will experience a love that is extraordinary.

This is not a second chance romance where lovers reunited. It’s a second chance for happiness. It is a new romance that enriches their lives and brings out the best in both of them.

I truly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

Deeper Than Dreams

Love & Steel Series – Book 1.5 – Novella

By Jessica Topper

Synopsis

Will wedding bells rock out for Louder Than Love’s most beloved couple in this Love and Steel novella?

Falling in love with rock star Adrian “Digger” Graves was a dream come true for former librarian Kat Lewis. But with a little help from friends and family–including Kat’s adorable daughter, Abbey–Adrian has planned an evening and a proposal beyond her wildest dreams.

The night before, Kat witnessed the triumphant reunion of Adrian’s rock band at Madison Square Garden. Tonight, he will escort her to the elegant, ultra-exclusive Library Lion’s benefit. It seems like a fairytale, but even fairytales have a deeper, darker side. When old habits return to tempt her knight in shining heavy metal armor, will Kat’s happily ever after come crashing back to reality?
THIS IS AN EPILOGUE NOVELLA THAT PICKS UP THE DAY AFTER LOUDER THAN LOVE ENDS. This novella is intended to be read after Louder Than Love.
Don’t miss the next Love and Steel novel, Softer Than Steel, coming in September 2015 from InterMix.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

It”s been two years since the first book, Louder Than Love in the Love & Steel series by Jessica Topper released. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was excited to see the sequel novella, Deeper Than Dreams releasing. As I started to read Deeper Than Dreams, I realized that it picked up right where Louder Than Love left off. With such a lengthy time span between the release of these two books I had forgotten quite a bit of the story. Therefore I felt like I had to go back and reread Louder Than Love. After reading Louder Than Love once again, I had to revise my review. I was still enraptured by this story and felt like I had a more constructive review the second time around. I was anxious to proceed on and read Deeper Than Dreams.

Deeper Than Dreams cannot be read as a stand alone novella. It is more of an epilogue for Louder Than Love.

Adrian Digger Graves has just had his big comeback performance. He has reunited with his old band and played at Madison Square Gardens. He is on a high from the success. The music world is praising their performance. Corroded Corpse is on their second claim to fame. The first time almost destroyed him. Will the resurgence of Corroded Corpse be a good thing or bad thing for Adrian?

This time around he has life experience, maturity, and a strong woman in his corner. He knows that love and family come first. He’s determined to hang onto it all.

A dream date. A magical proposal. A perfect Cinderella. A beautiful princess. A solid support group. And finally a better band.

Adrian Graves has it all. Most of all he has the love that lasts a lifetime.

I loved this novella. It gave another happily ever after for Adrian and Kat.

About Jessica Topper

Jessica Topper is an ex-librarian turned rock n’ roll number cruncher. She can trace her love for the written word back to age three, when she memorized Maurice Sendak’s “Chicken Soup with Rice” in its entirety.

After her daughter was born, Jessica left the Manhattan library world and began working for her husband’s music management company. He offered her a part-time bookkeeping job so she could “stay home for the baby’s first year” and pursue her dream of writing.

The baby is now thirteen, and Jessica has been working her full-time, sold-her-soul-for-rock-n-roll job as Office Manager for veteran jam band moe. ever since. She may have traded in books for bookkeeping, but the written word is never far from her mind, or her heart.

Jessica lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter and one ancient cat.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Blog Tour + 5 Star Review: Ryker by Sawyer Bennett – The Cold Fury Hockey Series – Book 4

Posted on 09/15/2015 by shellbellereads

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RYKER

Cold Fury #4

Sawyer Bennett

Releasing Sept 8th, 2015

The rugged men of the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team are winning hearts once again
in another scorching novel from New York Times bestselling
author Sawyer Bennett.

The stakes have never been higher for Carolina Cold Fury goalie Ryker Evans. With
his contract running out, he’s got a year left to prove he’s still at the top
of his game. And since his wife left him, Ryker has been balancing life as a
pro-hockey star and a single parent to two daughters. Management is waiting for
him to screw up. The fans are ready to pounce. Everybody’s taking dirty
shots—except for the fiery redhead whose faith in Ryker
gives him a fresh start.

As the league’s only female general manager, Gray Brannon has learned not to mix
business with pleasure. And yet even this tough, talented career woman can’t
help breaking her own rules as she gives Ryker everything she’s got. She hopes
their hot streak will last forever, but with Ryker’s conniving ex plotting to
reclaim her man, the pressure is on Gray to step up and save a tender new love
before it’s too late.

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Excerpt

“D-a-a-a-d,” Ruby shrieks from upstairs.

It’s a sound that once used to cause all the hair to stand up on my arms and on more than one occasion caused me to go tearing after the call of my youngest daughter thinking she was being murdered by an intruder. I’ve since come to recognize that particular shrill cry as one of excitement and wonder, and I can’t help but grin over what Ruby is possibly into now. At almost five years old, she refuses to accept the concept of a well-mannered, indoor voice and goes balls to the wall in everything she does.

“Is the house on fire, Rubes?” I call out.

Her little voice shouts back to me in a squawk. “No.”

“Have aliens landed?” I keep my voice just loud enough to carry up the stairs but still

decibels below her own.

“No,” she yells, and there . . . right there . . . that’s a little giggle from her.

“Did Timmy fall down the well?”

“No, Dad . . . but you have to come here,” she yells, and, to give her credit, it’s toned down just a bit. When I don’t answer her right away, she calls down in a sweet voice that makes my heart pitter-patter. “Please, Dad.”

Brilliant, little brat. Throwing in some manners to throw me off my game.

“I’ll be right there,” I tell her as I finish the last of Violet’s braid and manage to efficiently bind it with a hair elastic. Leaning over, I place a kiss on her head. “All done, dreamy dwarf.”

Violet leans her head back and gives me an upside-down grin. I love the sprinkle of freckles on her nose and it compels me to kiss her again.

“Do me a favor,” I tell her as I turn toward the living room. “Get the cereal and milk out for me while I go see what your sister needs?”

I don’t bother waiting to see what she does, because Violet has become my metaphorical right hand over the last few months. While she still loves for me to braid her hair and help with her homework, she’s also relished taking on a bit of a caretaker role since the girls moved in with me permanently this past summer.

They’ve been here almost six months and I actually feel like I know what the hell I’m doing now. It wasn’t always like that, and thank God for Kate’s help or I would have gone insane in those first few months of becoming a single parent of two little girls. Kate patiently helped me establish a routine and taught me how to braid hair, distinguish excited shrieks from cries of pain, and most important . . . how to conduct the perfect princess tea party.

I skirt my way through the living room, bending over to pick up one of Ruby’s dolls from the floor, and bound up the stairs taking two at a time. I find Ruby in the bathroom that she and Violet share, bent over the toilet and peering at something.

She shares the same dark hair and gray eyes as Violet, except her locks spring out everywhere in a mass of tiny curls. I have no idea where that came from, but assume it’s a rogue strand of ancestral DNA from either me or my soon-to-be ex-wife, Hensley. Both of us, as well as Violet, have fairly straight hair, so Ruby is definitely dipping into the family gene pool with her wild curls, but damn . . . they totally fit with her personality.

“What’s up?” I ask as I walk over to the toilet.

She straightens up, shoots me a grin, and points. “Look . . . a spider.”

I cautiously take a step forward and lean over, grimacing as I look into the bowl.

And holy shit . . . a spider the size of a T rex is floating on the surface, all eight legs spread out, bent and poised to look as if it’s ready to leap out and attach itself to my face. I suppress a full spinal shudder and reach a tentative hand toward the handle to flush it.

Two things happen almost simultaneously that take at least three years off my life.

The spider somehow manages to skitter across the water, the beast so large it actually creates waves, and Ruby shrieks at me, “No! Don’t kill it, Dad!”

It is with a major blow to my pride—as a man, as a dad, as a six-foot, six-inch professional hockey player nicknamed the Brick because I’m as big and tough as a brick wall—that I jump backward at least two feet from the monster-infested toilet and banshee-crying sprite, causing my hip to slam into the corner of the sink.

“Shit,” I curse loudly, and Ruby’s eyes go round, followed by her lips.

“Oh, Dad . . . that’s a bad word.”

No shit.

I smile at her as I rub my hip. That’s definitely going to leave a bruise. “Sorry, Rubes. I’ll put a dollar in the swear jar.”

She merely nods her acceptance of my apology and turns worried eyes back to the toilet.

“You have to save it,” she implores.

Yeah . . . that’s not going to happen. Not now. Not ever.

“Sure, baby,” I tell her as I take her by the shoulder and turn her toward the bathroom door. I swear the spider glares at me with a million red, evil eyes. “Go on down and get breakfast. Violet’s fixing your cereal. I’ll get the spider out.”

“Okay,” Ruby says as she pulls away from me, but continues to give me instructions. “But let it out the front door and I’ll bring it some food later.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I assure her as she disappears down the stairs. When I hear her feet hit the bottom landing, I turn toward the toilet, intent on a quick flush to put me out of my misery.

Except when I look in the bowl, the fucking thing is gone.

I’ll just go ahead and admit it. Spiders scare the living hell out of me. I have no clue why, and while I would battle the biggest, baddest monster to the death for my daughters, I’d much rather flush a little spider down the toilet.

I immediately scramble backward out of the bathroom, grabbing the doorknob and shutting it quickly behind me. My heart is racing a million miles an hour, the thought of that furry hell beast now loose in my house.

Just one more thing on the list of things I still need to do today.

Get the girls dressed and ready for school.

Take the girls to school.

Clean up the spilled laundry detergent.

Finish the laundry.

Arm myself with a can of hairspray and a lighter to torch the rogue spider in the bathroom.

Pick up my dry cleaning.

Work out.

Team practice.

Pick up the girls from Kate and Zack’s house.

Dinner.

Baths.

Story time and cuddling.

Go to bed because I’ll be exhausted.

Easy as fucking pie, and I’ll get up and do it all over again the next day with a smile on my face. I’m finding life as a single parent isn’t as daunting as I thought it would be and I’ve finally found my groove.

Michel’s Review

Every time I think I have a favorite hero from one of Sawyer Bennett’s books she goes and releases a new book. I instantly fall head over heels for the new hero she created. I don’t know how she does it but her men just keep getting better.

Ryker is the fourth book in the Cold Fury Hockey series. Ryker Evans is the new goalie for the Cold Fury Team. Although he is new to the team, he is a seasoned veteran that is closer to retirement than making a big name for himself. He has a solid reputation as a goalie although he blew the winning goal last season. His teammates may not believe in him but his general manager, Gray Bannon, does. She knows he has what it takes to take the Cold Fury to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ryker is a busy man. He’s playing the best hockey he has ever played. He is also raising his two young daughters and providing a stable home for them. He doesn’t have time for hookups or one night stands. He wants a committed relationship that has room to grow. He wants Gray Bannon. He knows she is the last person he should be pursuing but her sharp mind, compassionate spirit, and sexy body has him thoroughly entranced.

Gray Bannon is a certified genius. She is the first female general manager for a professional hockey team and it’s not because her father owns the team. She has a scientific formula for building a winning team. Some may not understand the statistics but she is certain it is going to work. Ryker Evans gets it. He gets her. He is the sexiest man she has ever met. He is off limits.

Ryker and Gray engage in a sizzling hot affair that can either burn them both or become a warm up to a happily ever after. Gray may lose her job and damage future hope for women in professional hockey. Ryker may have to retire before he is ready, especially since he is having his best professional season.

Throw in some hostile team members, an arrogant assistant general manager, a clueless ex wife, and two adorable little girls and you have a fantastic book. Ryker Evans is beyond sexy and Gray Bannon knows how to handle his sexy.

Sawyer Bennett has once again delivered an exciting page turner. Read Ryker! It can be read as a stand alone novel or in series order. I would highly recommend The Cold Fury Hockey series. These dynamic players know how to play more than a great game of hockey. They know how to play your heart and win!

USA Today and New York Times Best-Selling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series. She will be releasing her third book in the Cold Fury Hockey Series with Random House Loveswept, June 2015.

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Grab the other Cold Fury Romances

ALEX

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GARRETT

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ZACK

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Happy Release + 5 Star Review: Stupid Love by Cindy Miles – Stupid In Love Series – Book 3

Posted on 09/10/2015 by shellbellereads

Stupid Love

Stupid In Love Series – Book 3

By Cindy Miles

Synopsis

Bestselling new adult author Cindy Miles is set to capture the hearts of STUPID GIRL fans again with the grand finale of the Stupid in Love series, featuring Memory and Jace.

MEMORY

Casualties.

That’s how I refer to the guys who’ve had the bad fortune to fall for me. They only see long legs that they wish were wrapped around them, a cat-like smile, and the reckless abandon to take on any wild dare. It’s all a game to me. Show me a bridge, and I’ll leap over the side. Give me a car, and I’ll race it. Give me a heart, and I’ll break it. I always win. I even showed Death who was boss a long time ago.

Or so I thought.

Now, time is running out, and I’m losing fast…and big. I met someone. Jace Beaumont. He’s smart, and good, and I dream about spending days exploring the summit of his perfect lips. But, I’m a grenade. I know I should leave him be. I can’t.

JACE

Study, class, work, repeat. That’s all I have time for. At twenty-five years old, I have a bit more mileage on me than the average college freshman. But, that’s what happens when you spend your youth drinking, partying, and bagging girls like it’s a full-time job. Now, I have goals. There’s just one kink in my plans. Her name is Memory. She’s every guy’s dream girl. She’s intoxicating. She’s trouble. I want to stay away. I can’t.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Michel’s Review

Stupid Love by Cindy Miles is the third book in the outstanding New Adult series, Stupid In Love. This book once again revisits the crew at Winston University and introduces the readers to a new group of college friends. In Stupid Love, the old cast of characters will make appearances throughout the book. It’s like homecoming in a more mature setting.

Memory Thibodeaux is the campus wild girl. She’s known for her daring antics, carefree spirit, and party girl reputation. She dates frequently but never settles with one guy. She is the equivalent of a player without being a whore. Her mantra is to live life to the fullest every day. She has this mantra for good reason. She has flirted with death in her early years and won the round. She knows death can come knocking at any time without an invitation or reason. She is determined to experience everything life has to offer before death chases her down once again. She’s not so sure she win the next round.

When she meets the sexy tow truck driver one late night after a round of wild partying, things begin to look differently. She has finally met a guy that sparks her interest on every level. As she gets to know Jace Beaumont (Olivia Beaumont’s older brother from book one), she wants more than fun and games. She wants that forever kind of love.

Jace Beaumont is older than most of the students at Winston University. He spent his early adult years living loose and carefree. His partying days are over. It’s time to buckle down and get serious about his life. He doesn’t have time for wild parties and college fun. When he meets Memory Thibodeaux, he knows she is not the girl for him. He doesn’t need her kind of wildness in his life. The more he tries to avoid her, the more persistent she becomes. When he finally lets his guard down she is going to take his heart by storm. He is falling head over heels in love.

Jace and Memory find that once in a lifetime kind of love. It’s everything that both of them never thought they needed. They couldn’t be happier but… Memory has a demon chasing her. Jace can’t be the knight in shining armor to save her. Death has come knocking at the door once again. It’s up to them how they live their lives. They will love to the fullest and live every moment like it is the last.

Cindy Miles wrote a powerful emotional story. I laughed and cried. I could not put this book down.

I highly recommend Stupid Love by Cindy Miles. It can be read as a stand alone novel and does not have to be read in series order.

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The Stupid In Love Series

Stupid Girl – Book 1

Only fools fall in love…

After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston University, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course.

A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona.

As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.

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Stupid Boy – Book 2

Brax Jenkins and Olivia Beaumont are the most envied couple at Winston University—but the so-called “virginity dare,” orchestrated by Brax’s old fraternity, almost tore them apart. Now, a new dare is taking shape, and it’s sure to set emotions ablaze—more than ever before.

Winston’s “It Girl” Harper Belle isn’t just president of the Deltas—she’s also a master at keeping her ugly past a secret. So, when the Kappas’ dare hits closer to home for her more than anyone realizes, she devises a competition of her own as payback. Three sorority sisters will seek out a notorious womanizer on campus and—unbeknownst their “mark”—secretly train him to be the perfect boyfriend. Always up for a challenge, Harper targets the biggest player she can find: Brax’s wickedly handsome foster brother Kane McCarthy.

But, Harper discovers there’s much more to Kane than girls, games, and partying. His easy smile belies the quiet, old soul reflected in his deep brown eyes. All it takes is one night, one secret laid bare, and one kiss from Kane to shift Harper’s world on its axis. Suddenly, the girl who’s always walked a straight and narrow path can’t think of anything else except losing control.

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Stupid Love – Book 3

Bestselling new adult author Cindy Miles is set to capture the hearts of STUPID GIRL fans again with the grand finale of the Stupid in Love series, featuring Memory and Jace.

MEMORY

Casualties.

Or so I thought.

JACE

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Author Bio:

Cindy Miles is the best-selling author of twelve novels, one anthology and three short stories. She also writes as Elle Jasper, and grew up on the salt marshes of the Vernon River in Savannah, Georgia.

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5 Star Review: Wrenched by Emma James – Hell’s Bastard Series – Book 1

Posted on 09/10/2015 by shellbellereads

Wrenched

Hell’s Bastard Series – Book 1

By Emma James

Synopsis

EDGE

My name is Dallas ‘Edge’ Masson and I’m the Soulless Bastards MC’s enforcer.
I was raised by an evil bastard.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
I have personal business.
Whisper is my business.
I will be her judge and jury.
My father may have been Hell’s Bastard, but he was still my father.
They say blood is thicker than water.
I’m about to find out.
WHISPER

Life has been a bitch to me.
I don’t even know my full name.
I was a secret.
Miss Catherine changed my life.
I have friends.
I trust in people.
But then it all had to be wrenched away from me.

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Michel’s Review

Wow! Emma James has joined my favorite authors list and is definitely my favorite new author of 2015. I was blown away by her Men of Ocean Beach books. I was excited to see that she had a new series releasing that had a biker theme. In my mind I was expecting an emotional type of story rather than a dark thriller. Emma James does dark just as well as she does emotional.

Wrenched took me by complete surprise. I was expecting a story that revolved around the Hell’s Bastard MC. What the reader got was much more complex.

Whisper is a young woman that has been held in depraved captivity since her infant years. She has never experienced a normal, loving life. She has been a victim all her life. Rather than letting her life circumstances beat her down, she allowed it to strengthen her for the day when she was either freed or dead. In all reality it looked like death was going to be the ultimate ending for her. Freedom comes at an unexpected moment but not without a price. Now she is a young woman that is lost in the world. She has no past and could very well have no future. But she’s free. She has found new people who care for her and are watching her back.

Edge is the most brutal enforcer in the Hell’s Bastard MC. He’s the judge, jury, and executioner. He is one of the most feared men in his dark world. Edge didn’t become this brutal and lethal man by choice. He had a horrific childhood in which he escaped. He vowed he would one day return and dispense his brand of justice on his father. Fate took that away from him. His father died and it was not by his hand. His father screwed him over one more time in his death when he left the whore, Whisper, his entire estate except for the $100 he left his natural born son. Edge is hunting down Whisper. She took his inheritance. It’s not about the money. It’s about the theft of his justice. His justice is going to knock on Whisper’s door.

As the old saying goes “read between the lines” and “all is not black and white” definitely applies in this story. All is not how it seems. There is a more tangled plot than a depraved man destroying two young lives. This depraved man was playing a game of chess and in the end, his king will not be taken. He had the foresight to destroy them both in his death.

Wrenched ended on a major cliffhanger that left me chilled to the bone.

Emma James created a complex plot that could be described as a tangled web. Wrenched was just the beginning and introduction to a very twisted complex story. The writing is brilliant. I believe that once the Hell’s Bastard Series is complete, it will easily be a 6 Star series.

Wrenched is a superb dark thriller!

Author Bio:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Emma James lives in Queensland, Australia with her supportive husband, three children and a big black Labrador. Life is busy and most entertaining in the James household.

Writing has been a part of her life for many years. Life was getting on and it was time to put her fears aside and do what she does best. It was time to show readers what she was made of, take that leap off the diving board and see where it takes her.

Emma is a creative person at heart. She loves to read as much as write, devouring books into the wee hours of the morning.

Who needs sleep, right?

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Category Archives: Michel

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To touch a Dark One is death.

To talk to an immortal is suicide.

Yet, I’ve been marked by both.

A Vampire.

And the King of the immortals.

My life is no longer my own.

And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin with.

It was theirs.

It’s always been theirs.

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PROLOGUE

AMAZON * AMAZON UK

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And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin
with.

**AMAZON * AMAZON UK**